Mike Blakley
ATHENS-On Thursday, August 22 Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakley was arrested and booked into the Limestone County Jail on 13 charges of theft and ethics charges after his indictment came down Thursday morning.
According to the Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall the 13 charges cover conduct over several years.
Blakely is charged with the following crimes:
- Six counts of use of official position or office for personal gain
- Two counts of first-degree theft
- Two counts of second-degree theft
- Two counts of third-degree theft
- One count of fourth-degree theft
The case is being prosecuted by the Alabama Attorney General’s Special Prosecution Division. According to the Attorney General’s Office Sheriff Blakley does not have to resign because of the indictments as is stated in Alabama state law.
Investigation of Sheriff Blakely began in fall of 2018 by the Alabama Ethics Commission. The commission returned a vote of 4-0 to send the ethics allegations to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.
Blakely was sworn in as Sheriff of Limestone County in 1983 and was elected to his tenth term in 2018. Blakely worked as an Alabama State Trooper from 1972 to 1983. He has been released from jail on a $49,000 bond and is back to work at the Sheriff’s Department.
